Privacy notice

This website stores cookies on your computer. These cookies are used to collect information about how you interact with our website and allow us to remember you. We use this information in order to improve and customize your browsing experience and for analytics and metrics about our visitors both on this website and other media. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our Privacy Policy.

Site navigation

The following menu has 3 levels. Press tab to enter the menus and then use your arrow keys, enter, and escape to use the menus. Please note that items in the second level of these menus can open a page and also expand submenus.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menus. Use escape to exit.
Use down arrow to open a parent menu.
Within a submenu,
Use up and down arrow keys to explore.
Use right arrow key to expand additional submenus.
Use escape to move to parent menu.
Use enter to go to the page.

Share this article

This week smart drone manufacturer 3DR is premiering Life After Gravity, an original sci-fi series described as “a thriller on a global scale—intergalactic, really—about the blessings and poisons of extraordinary power, the many conflicts of its pursuit, and the birth of a new era for our civilization when we’re suddenly relieved of the trappings of gravity.” They plan to release 6 episodes by the end of the year.Here’s the trailer.Which doesn’t really tell you much, eh? According to a preview in Fast Company, “the series shows a dystopian future set primarily in Hong Kong and the Mexican jungle, and highlights the tension between the forces of science and antiscience, as well as “a menacing international space agency . . . a type III alien civilization,” and even the beginnings of a new human age.”I bring it to the attention of all you Friday Futurists for two reasons:

A free “dystopian future” series on YouTube? Absolutely worth a try, in my book. If it is impenetrable or boring, you can always flip over to the Walker CatVidFest channel.

However this series turns out, the underlying technology is potentially disruptive. 3DR is using Life After Gravity to show off its drone cameras and editing software–what they call “complete video production in a backpack.” You’ve probably seen “oh wow” drone videos of everything from fireworks to whale pods, and even a large number of museums (as featured in this CFM post last year.) Tools like this can democratize powerful storytelling and (not incidentally) make it more accessible to nonprofits. Note that the video series will be accompanied by a blog detailing the technical aspects of the work.

So, watch the trailer, keep an eye open for the first episode, and let me know what you think of a) the plot and b) the tech. Enjoy.